29th May 2019 - Andrew

We wake, indulge in a Thea’s breakfast (apricots from the trees below us this time - no strawberries) and head to a little town called Pigi. Pigi is high in the hills (everywhere in Ikaria is steeply up from the coast) and we park by a little church and walk the last 10 minutes through a pine forest to a famous monastery.

This place was built directly into the rock high in the mountains to protect it from pirates - it is hidden in the landscape. As we enter the area all is silent - no signs of human life. We discover a few small rock chambers closed in with drystone walls and then among the rough rock a church and a small circular parapet with great views.

We explore quietly and find a small tearoom where a greek lady tells us we might enter the church or go forward to the monastery. - we walk upwards and find the monastery chapel built under a huge overhanging rock. The door is a four foot iron heavy thing - inside a tiny chapel that you can hardly stand in. There are icons and a beautiful woodwork altar from the 1800’s (still bright with colour) and a tiny triangular window cut through the wall to provide light.

We sit quietly below (and meet some German travellers) for a while. We see lots of small, fast lizards when we watch and one perfectly camouflaged one. We watch quietly. Another quiet space built into the rock is restored as a traditional living space, it is dark and cool with large urns, a goatskin rug on the floor and a heath and fireplace. I sit there for a bit in the quiet.

On our way out we go into the more modern church. This old small chapel is painted inside all over with the weird orthodox iconography - strange images of Christ lassoing a dragon and endless Saints in stern disapproving rows. People have left talismans for blessings in cheap metal with all kinds of icons on them - people, babies, houses and a car?

29th May 2019 - Cara

This place reminds me of Cuba in that things are not very well sign posted. We make our way to Pigi which is a tiny, empty collection of houses. Hard to call it a village even. Then park and wander for a while to find a monastery.

Eventually we find a beautiful pine-lined road that leads there. I have visions of Tolkien. The landscape here is green, wooded, mossy with very tall trees above and pine needles below. In the not so far distance the sea is visible - almost always so on an island. The monastic space is so quiet, peaceful and beautiful. I’m really glad we are here with no other people. When the two german men arrive they fit our vibe well. We chat quietly about our holidays (they have business in Greece and visited this place for a holiday) and how lovely the space is, other than this we just quietly share the same space. We haven't plucked up courage to open the door under the hover hanging rock - the talkative German went up and did this first then the rest of us copied him.

The lizards were amazing. We noticed them after the Germans left when we came back from exploring the pretty wooded slope behind the chapel. Then they were everywhere - mostly green fast smallish ones. And then the large dragon like, grey , armoured, sharp clawed camouflaged one arrived. The colours in the chapel and church are bright and colourful - pink, blue, orange ect.

The long beach we walk is unusual for being sandy. It has three interesting signs where you can park (although it’s alongside a road so you could park anywhere and wonder down), no nudism, no free camping and no pets swimming. The last is interesting - we assume it means no pets on the beach. Why would you not let them swim? When we leave we see a group of dogs in a corral on the side. Perhaps this is where people leave there dog when they come to the beach?

28th May 2019